Ngozi Johnson
Thursday November 2nd to Friday 3rd 2023 saw more than 2,000 inspired women gathered at the famous hall of Eko Hotels and suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
The gathering was the 22nd Annual Conference of Women in Management Business and Public Service Wimbiz.
The Theme for the year was: Mission I’mPossible: Thrive!.
The reason the conference exist is to inspire women reach their full potential and achieve great feast in their respective fields.
Setting the pace at day 1, the Executive Director of WIMBIZ, Hansatu Adegbite, said, Wimbiz excel because they are community of people that come and go, but, their challenges she noted, is, they have not told their stories the way it should, ” Our stories is in the seed we carry. There is need to constantly reignite women who carry seeds inside of them that still need to be activated for greatness. Women need to develop a resilient spirit and maintain a positive mindset so that the seed will be activated for greatness.
Adegbite commended brands, organizations from both the public and private sectors for their support, and founders for identifying when it was right and ensuring that WIMBIZ will thrive in the hands of the next generation of leaders.
Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Africa Group, Paul Onwuanibe, who was speaking as a keynote speaker, urged women not be discouraged when they fail, rather, they should be passionate about things they can do that others can not.” And when presented with an opportunity , do the best as you can because you may not have opportunity to change the narrative. He stated that understanding the market, knowing your number, integrity, and and honesty that makes one make decisions.
Co-founder, African Family Firms, Tsitsi Mutendi who was among the speakers in one of the plenary sessions on how to build SMEs said our challenges in business is that we do not tell our inheritance that they are going to be the inheritance. We do not communicate with them, but allow them to be title of it, that it is going to be theirs.
According to her, “they do not know how the wealth is built. How it started. You forget to tell them the story and you want your children to inherit your wealth that they do not even know how the wealth looks like,”
She reiterated that communication is the key to multi generational wealth. ”If you want a multi generational wealth you must go together. You must bring your children together to understand the business you are you are doing. Recognise your family members,” she stated.
Adding, CEO of Optiva Capital Partners Jane Kimemia-Nechi, urged women to stay through to who they are, find their way to service, define their positivity, be real and prepare to be lonely in as start ups.
CEO, Software Nigeria LTD, Simon Melchior in one his quotes while encouraging women start ups said; It always seem impossible until it is done. Do everything to make it done,”
He acknowledged the fact that we need more women in politics, Businesses, and IT.
Also, women across the globe was urged to create a new beginning if the beginning they were born into is not favourable.
Chief executive officer, AT3, Tosin Adejeko said this in one of the plenary sessions while sharing her story of how she shifted from the banking world to communications said, she created a new beginning when her beginning was not favourable at the age of 30.
”I had to move from banking to communications when my beginning as a banker was not favourable. Not that I was not doing well, I was doing pretty well. I went back to school to start afresh in communications. People that knows me from my 20’s knew me as a banker but, from my 30’s as communications person. So, if your beginning is not favourable, you can create a new beginning,”
Adding, she said, if you do not stand for something you will not stand at all. “AT3 that is standing today started from my dining table. I sat down to think of failed space from the company I was working and I came up with something that can bridge that gap. I promised to be a consultant that will not fail and that was it. I had to work hard to keep that promise,” she said.
Adejoke advised women to work and earn their own money so that they do not lick their husbands legs. ” My father had money but, he always tells us that this is his own money that we should work for our own. He was a famous banker back then but at a point he went down. My up bringing made me who I am today,” she said.
Also, Dr.Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Executive Director, Women Advocates Research & Documentation Center, WARDC, urged the private sector to partner the civil society and the public sector in the fight against all forms of violence against women, describing the menace as one that affects every woman regardless of class, education or age.
“Gender discrimination has no boundary and the only thing that can push it out is the sustainable goal,” she said.
CEO, Software Nigeria LTD, Simon Melchior told women at the conference to create their own brand, live their own narrative. He disclosed that government is not our problem because Nigeria has been growing without government. “The government is not going to create employment, it is partnering with government to create jobs,”
Stating about his challenges in software, he said: “I am most worried about retaining my staffs. After training them and giving them opportunity to grow and they Japa.”
Earlier, the Executive Director of WIMBIZ, Hansatu Adegbite, said, Wimbiz excel because they are community of people that come and go, but, their challenges she noted, is, they have not told their stories the way it should, ” Our stories is in the seed we carry. There is need to constantly reignite women who carry seeds inside of them that still need to be activated for greatness. Women need to develop a resilient spirit and maintain a positive mindset so that the seed will be activated for greatness.
Highlights of the event included business grant giveaways worth millions of Naira by Unilever Plc. and the Nigerian Bottling Company, as well as conferment of Female Achievers’ Awards to veteran actress, Chief Ibidun V. Allison aka Amebo; Captain Chinyere Kalu, MFR, pioneer Nigerian female commercial pilot; Hauwa Danboyi Musa, pioneer full licensed female Air Traffic Controller; and late Christina E. Stallings, pioneer Nigerian female Air Hostess.
They was also an after party that was full of fun.
Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) is a non-profit organisation that has, over the last 22 years, implemented programs that inspire, empower and advocate for a greater representation of women in leadership positions in the public and private sector.
WIMBIZ has a contributory associate pool of 2,130 accomplished women in management, business and public service. They collaborates with credible domestic and international organizations to deliver programs, which have positively influenced over 313,071 women to excel in their businesses and careers.
